Is Dried Fruit Just As Nutritious As Fresh Fruit?

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Dried fruits, including raisins, dried plums and figs, are extremely popular products rich in antioxidants. From nutritional point of view, dried fruits are similar to their fresh doubles. However, there are some key differences between the two products:

– Because dried fruit contains less water than fresh fruit, serving size is a significantly smaller portion. According to the New York Times, half cup of dried fruit is approximately equal to one cup of fresh fruit.

– The degree of heat that is conducted at the fruit drying can destroy some of the nutrients and antioxidants. Therefore, dried fruit has slightly lower levels of vitamin C from fresh fruit.

– Some companies that produce dried fruit add refined sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup or sucrose. This increases calorie intake and the glycemic index of some dried fruits. For example, 100 grams of raisins contains 290 calories compared to 69 calories per 100 grams of fresh grapes.

– Chemical preservative, sulfur dioxide is commonly used as a preservative in dried fruit (especially apricots). World Health Organization warns that sulfur can cause life-threatening reactions, including anaphylaxis (Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that happens very quickly and is potentially lethal).